A notification pops up from Cash in the group chat.
Cash: Oh, dude. You should know better than to fuck with my wife.
He’s not wrong. I should know better. But I should have known better than to fuck Quinn last night, and I still did it. Because I’m an idiot.
Xander: Yeah, well, apparently I like to torture myself.
Jordyn’s name pops up on the screen again, so I switch to her text thread. Jesus. I’m going to be sitting in my car all damn day answering my sister-in-law’s questions.
Jordyn: Gee, thanks for such a broad answer. I guess I’ll just corner you tonight to get the information I want. Now, go make the asshole suffer for what he did to her.
Awesome. I already can’t wait for dinner.Not.I have a feeling I’ll be answering more than I’m comfortable with. Jordyn is a little pit bull. Cute and sweet, but also loyal and fierce if someone fucks with her or anyone she cares about. I adore and respect the hell out of her for it. I’m also a bit scared of Jordyn in a way; I think she might actually poison my drink if I piss her off too badly.
After tossing my phone onto the passenger seat, I pull out of the parking garage and head toward the desert.
Cash,Kian, Beckett, and Caleb are all standing around, waiting for me, by the time I arrive.
There’s no doubt they’re going to give me a bunch of shit and ask their own nosy questions. It’s going to annoy the fuck out of me, especially since the only thing I want to do right now is forget Quinn exists.
Yeah, like I’ll ever be able to do that.
Cash smirks at me and steps forward before pulling me into a backslapping hug. “Aw, our brother is in the same clothes he went home in, which means he must have stayed the night.”
I glare at him, then also shoot my younger brothers a glare as they both chuckle. Caleb stays silent, but the corners of his lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile.
“Of course I stayed with her. She was attacked last night. What kind of asshole would just drop her off and leave?” I snap back.
Beckett laughs this time and strides toward me, stopping for a second to lift his finger to my neck. “We knew you wouldn’t leave her. We just weren’t sure if you were going to fuck her, too. But these scratches on your neck tell us exactly what we need to know. Congrats, bro. She your girl?”
Yes.
She’s mine.
Onlymine.
“No,” I bite out. “She’s just my neighbor.”
“And,” Kian says as he walks past us, “our employee. So whatever you do, tread carefully. Now, let’s fucking do this because I’m in the mood for violence.”
My stomach twists at the mention of her being our employee. Fuck. We have strict rules not to get involved with any of our employees. And I just ignored them completely, potentially putting all our livelihoods at risk.
Shit.
I really am an asshole.
Instead of giving them any kind of response, I follow Kian and the rest into the plain, unassuming warehouse. It’s one of dozens we have placed strategically throughout the desert. After all, why have this beautiful land surrounding us if we don’t use it for a good purpose?
“Get him out of the cell and bring him out here, unrestrained,” I command two of our men, who have been standing guard within the building.
The area we’re in is wide open, with offices and hallways that lead to other parts of the space. All of it is dark and dingy. The only remnants of a once-used building, now only used for torturing people who crossed the line. And this piece of scum didn’t just cross it. He touched what’s mine. And that was the worst thing he could have done.
Our men bring the asshole out to us, and it’s clear that Caleb has already been working on him throughout the night, based on how bloody and swollen his face is.
A slow, evil smile spreads across my face as I stare at him, stumbling slightly when one of the men pushes him forward.
“Well, well, well. It’s good to see you again, man. I hope you found the accommodations to be to your liking.” I take a step forward, rubbing over the knuckles of my right fist. They’re still not fully healed from the last thing I punched, but I can hardly wait for the pain of splitting them open again. Especially knowing I’m doing it for her.
“Man, I’m sorry! I didn’t know she was your girl. She came onto me, man!” the guy says, spittle flying from his swollen lips as he speaks.
